Jun 26, 2015

I am glad to welcome a new blogger to the fray today, a former member of Kip McKean's International Christian Church (ICC) with quite a few things to say about his time in the cult. His conclusions about the group are strikingly similar to mine. I think it adds strength to both my statements and his that we both were able to come to such similar conclusions about the abusive nature of this group. (Well, he and I and a few thousand other people before us.)

Jun 24, 2015

Thank you to my many helpers for this post! Here are some more ways you can tell that you are part of the so-called SODM / Sold-Out Discipling Movement, aka the ICC / International Christian Church, or whatever Kip McKean is calling his group of not-yet-former followers for the moment. (Check out the original list here.)

10. ...You're lame enough to claim that you attended Kip's fantasy college, the International College of Christian Ministry (ICCM), before he even started it! Kip created the ICCM in 2012 yet many evangelists/women's ministry leaders like Chenelle Patterson, Jared McGee and Ron Harding assert they attended the "school" several years prior to its actual inception. According to their Facebook pages, Chenelle claims she attended from 2009-2013, Jared 2007-2013 and Ron 2006-2013. Why the spin? Perhaps to give unsuspecting individuals the "impression" that they graduated from a legitimate four year university which the ICCM is NOT!

Jun 18, 2015

Kip McKean for decades has always liked to present himself as a sort of "super Christian" and even at one time believed that he was literally a full-fledged apostle of Jesus Christ - just like Paul and Peter and the rest of the twelve or so historical apostles, who died out about two thousand years ago, never to be replaced until Kip walked the earth.

But when we look a little closer, we can come to no conclusion other than Kip must be a closet atheist.

Either that, or he has invented a "god" in his own mind (which makes him no different from a pagan or idolater). What other possible could explain Kip's bizarre statements and behavior?

May 16, 2015

According to Kip McKean's "Good News Email," an electronic propaganda tool he uses to promote his cult, Kip will be stepping down as LE (lead evangelist) of the City of Angels International Christian Church cult, effective in about one year from now (summer 2016).

This comes as welcome news to many of us who are hoping for the failure of the cult and for the protection of countless young people who are in danger of becoming involved and having their lives completely taken over by years of forced "volunteer" service, as once happened to me and to hundreds of thousands of others like me.

The leadership of Los Angeles branch of the "Sold-Out Discipling Movement," a non-movement created by McKean in an attempt to consolidate his power and multiply his income, sorry, I mean, created by McKean in a valiant effort to fearlessly take the true, lost gospel of the first century Church to a lost modern world, saving a generation of people who would otherwise be lost in its entirety to the eternal fires of hell, will be taken over by McKean disciple, Tim Kernan. Tim is known for being Canadian and for speaking Canadian French as well as English, and for getting very red in the face when he is serious about whatever he is talking about.

Apr 21, 2015

Guest post by anonymous writer via the comments section of a previous post (thank you and please keep the great comments coming!):

10. You're not permitted to wear swim suits, ride alone in a car with the opposite sex, go on solo dates and must look away during kissing scenes on tv/movie "to protect your purity". Yet, there are no shortage of sisters who show up for church in skin tight clothing, wearing hooker heels with hair/make-up all done in a way that would rival any hard working stripper.

9. You're told that you must IMITATE, OBEY and SUBMIT to the authority of your 22 year-old church leader who barely had enough credits to graduate high school, never had a job other than his stint as a bus boy at Frosty Freeze and brags during every sermon that he has a degree from the church's unaccredited school the ICCM. Meanwhile his wife (the women's ministry leader) still reads Teen Vogue and is obsessed with taking selfies.

8. Every Good News E-Mail is inundated with pictures of Kip, Elena and other ICC Leaders traveling the globe (in style) visiting places like London, Paris, Spain, Australia, Hawaii, Chile, etc. While you're struggling to pay the rent/bills, living off of top ramen and can barely afford the gas to shuffle your 6 roommates to and from church events because you are constantly brow beaten to "sacrifice" so as to fund these vacations, ahem, I mean "missionary" trips.

Oct 22, 2014

10. Two-thirds of the ICC is made up of college students between the ages of 18 and 22. Most drop out of college because they are unable to manage both school and the rigorous church schedule that each member is required to adhere to: church on Sunday, midweek service on Wednesday, bible talk on Friday, discipiling (D-times) meetings, evangelism or "sharing" several hours a day, bible studies with new recruits, "serving" paid staff leaders by house cleaning, baby sitting, running errands for them, etc. Failure to meet these demands are met with brow beating sessions where students are made to feel that they have a bad heart and are selfish by not putting the church first and as a result risk going to hell.

9. All three of Kip McKean's kids went to private school, graduated from Ivy-League colleges, and went to graduate school. Kip's children left the organization and want nothing to do with the church. Side Note: during her college years, Kip's eldest child suffered from bouts of depression and thoughts of suicide due to the scrutiny and intense pressure to preform which are hallmarks of Kip's leadership and church culture. Since many within the ICC (including top leaders), as well as ex-members have shared that they too have experienced these emotions as a result of their affiliation with the church, Kip felt compelled to write an article on the topic of Acedia, The Forgotten Sin to deflect his responsibility in cultivating an environment where depression is common because members never feel like they are able to do enough or measure up to Kip's standard.

Many of you have asked very valid questions recently. Where do I start?

I was fired on August 1, 2014 for my convictions. This was after Thomas (Kip) apologized for every single accusation that he had brought against me. Kyle Bartholomew was there; so was Joan Bartholomew, his wife, as were Elena (Kip's wife) and Aurora (my wife). You see, I don't agree with double standards: applying scriptures to some and then not to others. I don't agree with manipulation.

Thomas (Kip) has asked and lied about asking people to write letters against me (amongst the latest confirmed are Jared McGee and Rachel McGee who lead the Mexico City ICC). When Thomas (Kip) presented these letters to me, he simply said, "These are totally unsolicited. I didn't ask for them - they just sent them to me - look at what they are saying about you." At the GLC, when asked about his letter, Jared answered, "Yes. Thomas (Kip) asked for our input and wanted us to write a letter about you guys."